Views from the Choir Loft

Resources • 3rd Sunday after Easter (1962 Missal)

Jeff Ostrowski · April 24, 2015

RESPONSES FOR HIGH MASS

PDF Score (Singer) • printed on a single sheet

PROCESSIONAL

Organist.

VIDI AQUAM

Vidi Aquam (Singer PDF)

A special version for the ORGANIST on the Repeat

INTROIT • Sung by the men only.

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

KYRIE ELEISON • Palestrina Parody Mass

Part 1 with Impleta Sunt “Christe”

The Solfège for Part 1 is identical to the Sanctus—so you can get your practice videos for Part 1 below.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS • Zachariis (†1594)

Practice Videos and scores

EASTERTIDE GRADUAL (ALLELUIA)

PDF Score (Singer)

Will be sung with a NEW ALLELUIA you can learn here.

CREDO IV • Alternatim

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer) • Organist

OFFRT. ANTIPHON

PDF Score (Singer)

OFFRT. HYMN • Vita Sanctorum with Refrain

Complete score, with polyphony & unison: PDF Score (Singer)

Practice videos for this piece are here.

Score for organist—which will accompany the verses ONLY—can be downloaded here.

SANCTUS • Palestrina (“Vexilla”)

Chant Part • Polyphony Part • Practice the Solfège for the Polyphonic section

AGNUS

Du Fay Agnus Dei • Score • {Women Voice} • {Middle Voice} • {Men Voice}

COMM. ANTIPHON

PDF Score (Singer) • Practice Audio (Singer)

COMMUNION HYMN • Salve Festa Dies

PDF Score (Singer) • Organist

Bass Section go here and learn the harmony for the REFRAIN ONLY (“Salve festa dies, etc.”).

Everyone else please learn the unison for the REFRAIN here.

RECESSIONAL HYMN • 844 Come, Ye Faithful, Raise The Strain

From Campion Hymnal.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Music Director Job • $80,000 per year

Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published

Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Pope Pius XII Hymnal?

Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Hybrid” Chant Notation?

Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.

—Corpus Christi Watershed

Antiphons Don’t Match?

A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Latin has been the language of the Latin liturgy for 1,600 years. It is a sign and source of unity as well as a defense of doctrine, not because of the language so much, but because it is a language no longer subject to changes. There are so many beautiful texts which can never have the same effectiveness in translation. Lastly, Latin is bound to an extremely precious heritage of melody, Gregorian chant and polyphony.”

— Cardinal Antonelli (Secretary of the Conciliar Commission on the Liturgy)